Container support device for a railway car



Aug, 18, 1964 w. R. SHAVER ETAL 3,144,833

CONTAINER SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A RAILWAY CAR Filed June 7, 1961 s Sheets-Sheet 1 55172512.: WILLIAM R.SHAVER GEORGE F. BRIDGES 9 w. R. SHAVER ETAL 3,

CONTAINER SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A RAILWAY CAR Filed June 7, 1961 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Q Q? 8 w Qm Pm. 4

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Aug. 18, 1964 w. R. SHAVER ETAL 3,144,838

CONTAINER SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A RAILWAY CAR Filed June 7. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 WILLIAM R. SHAVER GEORGE F. BRIDGES Aug. 18, 1964 w. R. SHAVER ETAL 3, ,83

CQNTAINER SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A RAILWAY CAR Filed June 7, 1961 s Sheets-Sheet 5 EZ'EJ'YZUEE WILLIAM R.5HAVER GEORGE F. BRIDGES *fulaaoli/n United States Patent 3,144,838 CONTAINER SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A RAILWAY CAR William R. Shaver, Hammond, Ind, and George F.

Bridges, Chicago, 111., assignors to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 7, 1961, Ser. No. 115,412 Claims. (Cl. 105-366) The invention relates to a new and improved container supporting assembly adapted for application to a deck portion of a vehicle on which containers are mounted for piggyback-type operation. More specificaly, the invention is directed to a new and improved container supporting assembly for use with a vehicle, such as a railway car, the assembly including special container end portion support and attachment members which are especially adapted for application to a cushioned rack assembly or the like mounted on a vehicle for cushioned travel relative thereto in response to vehicle operational shock.

With the advent of piggyback lading operation in the railroad industry, the use of box-like freight containers has substantially increased. Such containers are removably mounted on open deck flat cars for shipping by rail and are readily transferable to and from flat deck trailers for transportation by truck to and from the railroad shipping points. During the course of handling the containers the contents thereof are undisturbed and fully protected.

Different container support and attachment assemblies have been proposed for use on trailers and railway cars. Dificulties have been encountered in the design of such assemblies with regard to providing adequate support and attachment for containers which are of sufficient dimensions to make full utilization of minimum railroad operational clearances. Additional problems involve pro-' viding adequate vertical load support for containers, adequate vertical clearances between a container and the side sills of a railway car for use during loading and unloading of the container, simplicity of design of the container support assembly with regard to fabrication and maintenance costs, uncomplicated yet efficient container attachment, and adequate safeguards against container and container contents damage by car operational shock.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved container supporting assembly particularly adapted for use with a railway car in piggyback lading operation, the container supporting assembly involving the use of special container end portion supporting means.

Another object is to provide a new and improved vehicle adapted for piggyback container operation, the vehicle being provided with special container support and attachment means forming a part of the invention.

Still a further object is to provide a new and improved cushioned container supporting assembly for mounting on the open deck portion of a railway car, the supporting assembly being of uncomplicated construction and including specially designed and uniquely arranged container end portion supports extending transversely thereof which permit ready and efiicient container loading and unloading as Well as protective container support and attachment.

Other objects not specifically set forth will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

'FIG, 1 is a partly schematic perspective of a railway car improved by the application thereto of one form of container supporting assembly of the invention;

3,144,838 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 N'Ce FIGS. 2, 2a and 2b are segmental plan views of the car and container supporting assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of one of the transverse beam members constituting a part of the container supporting assembly as viewed generally along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the container locking means of the supporting assembly as viewed generally along line 44 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating operational aspects of the container locking means;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section of the locking means as viewed generally along line 6-6 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, partly sectioned view of a modified container supporting assembly;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 illustrating operational aspects of the modified assembly; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the bottom portion of one of the rail members of the supporting assembly of FIG. 1 illustrating mounting thereof on the railway car.

Referring to FIG. 1, a car 10 is generally illustrated as including a flat open deck portion 11 which terminates at opposite ends in a coupler housing 12 suitably mounting therein a conventional car coupler 13. The sides of the deck portion 11 are defined by upstanding side sills 14 which in the form illustrated terminate at the top thereof in outwardly directed flanges. A known type of hand brake unit 15 is mounted on the car, this car being supported by conventional wheel truck units 16 on rails 17. The type of railway car adapted for use with the container supporting assembly of the present invention may be of any suitable design providing an open deck portion on which the container supporting assembly, generally designated by the numeral 18, and containers (not shown) are adapted to be received. While Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 2a and 2b, the container supporting assembly 18 comprises spaced longitudinally extending rail-like members 19 which are in the form of I-beams. These rail members are interconnected by transverse beams 20 which tie the rail members together for operation as a unitary rack structure. As best shown in FIG. 9, the basic rack assembly is attached to the deck portion 11 of the car 10 by means of tiedown brackets 21 which are formed with base portions attached to the deck 11 and extending under the bottom flanged surfaces of the rail members 19. The base portions of the brackets 21 include bearing blocks 22 therein which mount anti-friction pads 23 formed from Teflon or the like on which the flat bottom surface of each rail member 19 rests. The top portions of the brackets 21 extend inwardly over the top surface portions of the bottom flanged base of each rail member 19 and in this manner the inter-connected rail members are mounted in spaced relation from the top surface of the deck por- 1 tion 11 in sliding resting engagement on the anti-friction pads 23 for movement relative to the car 10 longitudlnally thereof. The brackets 21 as shown in FIG. 9 may be associated with a rail member 19 at spaced intervals therealong on opposite sides thereof.

Suitable cushioning units 24 are mounted between transversed beams 20 along the car 10 and in a known manner interconnect the rack assembly 18 with the deck portion 11 of the car 10 to control movement of the rack assembly relative to the car 10. The basic arrangement and mounting of the rack assembly described is known, the

cushioning units 24 being of any suitable type such as a series of rubber pads or hydraulic cylinders, and functioning to permit controlled travel of the rack assembly relative to the car '1ongitudinally thereof in response to operational shock in buff and'draft while absorbing such shock. In this manner the assembly 18 and containers attachedthereto as will be described are protected from damage from-destructive forces created during operation of the car 10. The rack assembly 18 is basically completed' by the provision of a plurality of longitudinally spaced'transverse container end portion supporting beams generally designated by the numeral 25.

Each container end portion support beam 25' as best shown in FIGS. 1-3 includes a horizontally directed, shelf-like plate portion 26 on which an end portion of a container is adapted to-be positioned in vertical load supported relation. The free leading edge of the horizontalplate portion 26 is formed with a depending flangelike lip portion 27 which extends downwardly into engagement withthe top surface of the rail members 19. The support beam 25 further includes a vertically upwardly extending rear wall portion 28- which-may be integrally formed with the adjacent edge of the horizontal wall portion 26 and which along the topmost portion thereof is inclined outwardly and upwardly in a direction away from the horizontal wall portion 26 to define a guide flange portion 29. Opposite end plates 30 are positioned atright angles to the vertical plate portion 28 at opposite ends thereof and include vertically upwardly extending portions co-extensive with the vertical portion 28joined. with upwardly and' outwardly inclined topmost guide plate portions which are suitably joined with the guide plate portion 29 at opposite ends thereof. As best shownin FIG. 1, each transverse, support beam 25 is attachedto the top surface of the rail members 19 by vertically directed reinforcing plates 31 which are suitably attached along the rear faces of the various plate portions of the transverse beam and project inwardly between the horizontal plate portion 26 andthe rail members 19 in attachment therewith to provide vertical reinforcement thereto.

The rear face of the vertical wall portion 28 has suitably attached'thereto container lock housings 32 adjacent opposite endsof the transverse beam 25. The beams 25 are arranged in oppositely facing paired relation with each pair co-operatively receiving therebetween a container with opposite end portions of the container mounted in resting engagementthereon. Thus centrally of the car 10 a pair, of oppositely directed container supporting beams 25 are arranged in back-to-back relation and the reinforcing plates 31' are continuous therebetween as shown in FIG. 2a. For proper vertical load support of a container by the assembly 18, suitable means are provided to bridge the longitudinal distance between paired transverse supporting beams 25 and provide longitudinallly extending rail-like surfaces-which are flush with the horizontal plate portions 26 of the transverse beams. As shown inFlGS. 1-3, I-bearn segments 33 extend between paired transverse beams 25 in supported relation along thetop surfaces of therail members 19. FIG. 3 illustrates an I-beam 33. as being of smaller dimensions than the basic I'beam 19, it being understood that a beam of any suitable size may. be used depending upon the vertical height andload bearingstrenth requirements in providing for flushalignment of. the intermediate rail members of the rack. assembly with the horizontal plate portions of the co-operating transverse beams. 25. In this manner the verticalload of a container is uniformly supported by the rail members of the rack assembly as well as the transversebeams 25 on which the end portions of the container are received. in resting engagement. Distribution of vertical load in this manner provides for efficient cushioned travel of the rack asembly on the supporting longitudinally spaced-brackets 21.

FIGS. 4-6 illustrate the container attachment means including the lock housings 32 carriedat opposite ends of each transverse beam 25. Each lock housing 32 includes a pair of spaced outwardly projecting side plates 34 suitably attached to the rear face of the vertical plate portion 28. An outer end plate 35 is secured between the side plates 34 and is formed with an aperture 36 extending therethrough. A locking pin 37 is received through the aperture 36 and the outer end thereof is provided with an operating handle 38 which is readily accessible from a side of the car 10 along the rear portion of each transverse beam 25. The locking pin 37 is provided with a transverse fixed key pin 39 which projects in opposite directions therefrom and which is centrally located intemediate the ends of the pin 37. The innermost end of the pin 37 is formed with a beveled portion 40 and is received through a suitable aperture 41 in the verticalwall portion 28 of the transverse beam 25. Within the lock housing 32 are a plurality of combined key-like lock plates 42'each of which are best shown in FIG. 6 is formed with a central aperture 43, through which the pin 37 is received, and a pair of oppositely positioned outwardly extending grooves 44 dimensioned to permit longitudinal movement of: the key pin 39 therethrough upon alignment'of the key pin therewith. The combined key plates 42 are suitably attached'to the side plates 34 of the housing 32 and extend thereacross with the aligned apertures 43 thereof being in alignment with the apertures 36 and 41.

FIG. 4 illustrates the locking pin 37 in its container locking position with the beveled end 40 thereof projecting through the aperture 41 into a suitable locking recess 45 of the end'portion of a container 46. The container 46 may be of any suitable box-like design and in.

FIG. 4 is illustrated-in phantom as it does not constitute a part of the invention. In the locked position the transverse key pin 39 is located between the key plates 42 and the rear face of the vertical wall portion 28 of the transverse beam 25 and, with the operating handle 38 being in a downwardly directed position, the transverse key pin 39-is arranged as illustrated in broken lines, FIG. 6, at right angles to the opposed grooves 44 of the key plates 42. In this position the locking pin 37 cannot be withdrawn rearwardly through the key plates 42 by reason of abutment of the key pin 39 with the adjacent key plate 42. Thus the container 46 is fixedly attached to the transverse beam 25 andextends therefrom into vertical load supported engagement with the top surface of the rail members 33. The locking arrangement design is such that operational shock will not result in inadvertent unlocking of the container 46, the operating handle 38 being of sufiicient weight to hold the locking pin 37 in the position illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 illustrates the unlocked position of the locking pin 37. This is brought about by lifting the operating handle 38 through a arc whereby the transverse key pin 39 is placed in alignment with the oppositely positioned grooves 44 of the key plates 42. The operating handle 38 is then drawn rearwardly away from the transverse beam 25 resulting in a withdrawal of the locking pin 37 through the locking plates 42 to an extent that the transverse key pin 39 is eventually located between the end plate 35 of the housing. 32 and the adjacent locking plate 42. The operator is informed of this position by abutment of the transverse key pin 39 with the inner surface of the end plate 35. The operating handle 38 is then released and permitted to move downwardly by reason of its own weight resulting in rotation of the locking pin 37 to place the key pin 39 at right angles to the aligned key slots 44. The beveled end 40 of the locking pin 37 is adequately withdrawn into the aperture 41 as illustrated in FIG. 5 and the container 46 is free to be removed from the car 10.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a modification of the rail members used in the rack assembly in conjunction with the container supporting transverse beams 25. In place of the smaller rail members 33 being mounted on the top surfaces of the rail members 19 as previously described, suitable longitudinally extending block-like members 47 may be mounted thereon. As illustrated, the block members 47 may be formed of wood and are interconnected by a plurality of longitudinally spaced hinges 48 with the rail members 19. The block members 47 are arranged to be operatively mounted on the top surface of each rail member 19 with the top surface of each block member being flush with the horizontal plate portion of a transverse beam 25. The operative position of the block members 47 is shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 illustrates the inoperative position of the block members 47 with the same being moved outwardly and downwardly (or inwardly and downwardly depending on hinge location) by reason of the hinge connections 48 thus exposing the top surfaces of the rail members 19 and placing the horizontal plate portion 26 of a transverse beam 25 in vertically raised position relative thereto. This particular arrangement will accommodate containers of steppeddown design (not shown) where additional abutment by a container edge with the depending plate portion 27 of a transverse beam 25 is desired. Also, the block members 47 may be moved to an inoperative position where it is necessary merely to support a container at opposite end portions thereof on co-operating transverse beams 25. If desired, a flat wear plate may be applied to the top surface of the horizontal plate portion 26 of each transverse beam 25 as best shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 7 and 8.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that by reason of the provision of the transverse beams 25 a container is supported and attached to a rack assembly and to a railway car in an eflicient and stable manner. The transverse beams 25 project laterally beyond the rail members 19 and in this manner provide lateral stability to a container mounted thereon. The beams 25 fix a container against movement relative to the rack assembly longitudinally thereof and the locking arrangement tightly clamps the container onto the rack assembly. The transverse beams 25 do not interfere with the side loading of a container on the car 10 and adequate space is maintained between edges of a container and the side sills 14 of the car 10 to permit insertion and removal of grappling hooks or other attachment means used in loading and unloading containers. During lowering of a container into vertical supported relation on the vertical wall portions of the transverse beams 25 provide guiding surfaces establishing automatic centering of a container between co-operating transverse beams. The design of the transverse beams 25 provide for actual encasing of end portions of a container for stabilized mounting thereof on the car 10.

Obviously certain modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a railway car having an underframe including an open flat deck portion and upstanding side sills, the provision of a container supporting rack assembly mounted on said deck portion longitudinally thereof inwardly of said side sills, said rack assembly comprising trans versely spaced interconnected rail-like members projecting vertically from said deck portion no higher than said side sills and including cushion attachment means connected to the deck portion of the car through cushion means carried by the car and providing for controlled travel of said rail-like members longitudinally of the car in response to car operational shock, said rail-like members having mounted solely along top surface portions thereof a plurality of vertically projecting and transversely extending container end supports, each container end support comprising transversely continuous horizontal and vertical wall portions and vertical end wall portions which are directed longitudinally of said assembly, said wall portions being arranged to encase a bottom end portion of a container including the side end portions thereof to transversely support the same and control positioning thereof on said rail-like members, said container end supports projecting laterally beyond said rail-like members substantially toward said side sills and being arranged in oppositely facing longitudinally spaced paired relation to cooperatively encase opposite end portions of a container therebetween, and longitudinally continuous container bottom support means mounted solely on top surface portions of said rail-like members and extending between oppositely facing pairs of end supports, the horizontal wall portion of each container end support being flush with the top surfaces of said intermediate container bottom support means and constituting a transverse continuation thereof, the horizontal wall portion of each container end support and the top surfaces of said intermediate container bottom support means lying in a horizontal plane which is above the top surfaces of said side sills.

2. The railway car of claim 1 wherein each container bottom support means is in the form of a superimposed I-beam mounted on a rail-like member with the flat top surface of the I-beam being flush with the horizontal wall portion of each container end support associated therewith.

3. The railway car of claim 1 wherein each container bottom support means is in the form of a longitudinally extending block-like means removably attached to the top surface of a rail-like member and providing a longitudinally continuous top surface flush with the horizontal wall portion of each container end support associated therewith, said block-like means including hinge means interconnecting the same with a rail-like member along inner margins thereof for inoperative recessing of said block-like means between the rail-like members of said rack assembly.

4. The railway car of claim 1 wherein the vertical wall portions of each container end support extend upwardly from the associated horizontal wall portion and are inclined outwardly away from the horizontal Wall portion along their topmost portions to provide container guide surfaces for proper container seating on said assembly.

5. The railway car of claim 1 wherein each container end support includes locking means for container engagement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,408,413 Smith Feb. 28, 1922 1,408,414 Smith Feb. 28, 1922 1,472,078 Lucius Oct. 30, 1923 1,675,701 Fitch July 3, 1928 2,355,867 Jarvis Aug. 15, 1944 2,812,974 McHugh Nov. 12, 1957 2,817,303 Charlet Dec. 24, 1957 2,828,023 Berra et a1 Mar. 25, 1958 2,828,931 Harvey Apr. 1, 1958 2,895,695 Solomon July 21, 1959 2,950,690 Bohlen Aug. 30, 1960 2,973,174 Stanwick et al. Feb. 28, 1961 

1. IN A RAILWAY CAR HAVING AN UNDERFRAME INCLUDING AN OPEN FLAT DECK PORTION AND UPSTANDING SIDE SILLS, THE PROVISION OF A CONTAINER SUPPORTING RACK ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON SAID DECK PORTION LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF INWARDLY OF SAID SIDE SILLS, SAID RACK ASSEMBLY COMPRISING TRANSVERSELY SPACED INTERCONNECTED RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS PROJECTING VERTICALLY FROM SAID DECK PORTION NO HIGHER THAN SAID SIDE SILLS AND INCLUDING CUSHION ATTACHMENT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE DECK PORTION OF THE CAR THROUGH CUSHION MEANS CARRIED BY THE CAR AND PROVIDING FOR CONTROLLED TRAVEL OF SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CAR IN RESPONSE TO CAR OPERATIONAL SHOCK, SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS HAVING MOUNTED SOLELY ALONG TOP SURFACE PORTIONS THEREOF A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY PROJECTING AND TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING CONTAINER ENDS SUPPORTS, EACH CONTAINER END SUPPORT COMPRISING TRANSVERSELY CONTINUOUS HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL WALL PORTIONS AND VERTICAL END WALL PORTIONS WHICH ARE DIRECTED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ASSEMBLY, SAID WALL PORTIONS BEING ARRANGED TO ENCASE A BOTTOM END PORTION OF A CONTAINER INCLUDING THE SIDE END PORTIONS THEREOF TRANSVERSELY SUPPORT THE SAME AND CONTROL POSITIONING THEREOF ON SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS, SAID CONTAINER END SUPPORTS PROJECTING LATERALLY BEYOND SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS SUBSTANTIALLY TOWARD SAID SIDE SILLS AND BEING ARRANGED IN OPPOSITELY FACING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED PAIRED RELATION TO COOPERATIVELY ENCASE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF A CONTAINER THEREBETWEEN, AND LONGITUDINALLY CONTINUOUS CONTAINER BOTTOM SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED SOLELY ON TOP SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID RAIL-LIKE MEMBERS AND EXTENDING BETWEEN OPPOSITELY FACING PAIRS OF END SUPPORTS, THE HORIZONTAL WALL PORTION OF EACH CONTAINER END SUPPORT BEING FLUSH WITH THE TOP SURFACES OF SAID INTERMEDIATE CONTAINER BOTTOM SUPPORT MEANS AND CONSTITUTING A TRANSVERSE CONTINUATION THEREOF, THE HORIZONTAL WALL PORTION OF EACH CONTAINER END SUPPORT AND THE TOP SURFACES OF SAID INTERMEDIATE CONTAINER BOTTOM SUPPORT MEANS LYING IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE WHICH IS ABOVE THE TOP SURFACES OF SAID SIDE SILLS. 